Keyword: soaring by

The 139th running of the June 9 Belmont Stakes (gr. I), the third and final leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, could pick up a starter or two at the conclusion of Sunday's Peter Pan Stakes (gr. II) for 3-year-olds at Belmont Park.

Michael Matz, who trained last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Barbaro, will send out Centennial Farms' Chelokee against six rivals in the inaugural running of the Barbaro Stakes for 3-year-olds on the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) undercard.

There is still a small crack in the door to get into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Whether anyone in Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) can squeeze in at the last minute is another matter.

There is still a small crack in the door to get into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). Whether anyone in Saturday's Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) can squeeze in at the last minute is another matter.

Belgravia and Joe Got Even, who are on the list of leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) by graded stakes earnings, will start in Saturday's $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II).

Following the defection from the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) of Any Given Saturday, it now looks as if the 1 1/8-mile test at Keeneland also will lose Lane's End (gr. II) winner Hard Spun, who will either go straight to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. II) or point for the Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II) and Preakness (gr. I).

Well, we've got our first big horse heading to Churchill Downs following Scat Daddy's victory in the Florida Derby (gr. I), and judging from the other cards trainer Todd Pletcher is holding, he's going to have a full house come May 5. But who knows if runner-up Notional will be the first of four aces held by Doug O'Neill.

Michael and Doreen Tabor's Circular Quay has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite in a field of eight 3-year-olds for the 94th running of the $600,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course March 10.

Many times when looking back on the career of a Kentucky Derby winner, you can find one defining race or defining moment within a race that stamps the horse as a legitimate classic contender. This is the first of several attempts this winter to find such moments.

The Dogwood is in bloom again at Saratoga. If there was one special sight among the many soul-cleansing visions of a Saratoga opening day it was the familiar green and yellow silks of Dogwood Stable flashing past the finish line in the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III).